Elements of Urbanism: Waycross
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1036124980_A2Gge-M.jpg)
Metro Jacksonville visits a neighborhood to the north: Waycross, GA.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-oct-elements-of-urbanism-waycross
I would think some of our train fans have visited the Southern Heritage Museum.
http://www.railga.com/ondispl/wayloco.html
I have Waycross relatives. I don't ever think they pictured their town as being connected to anything described by the word "urbanism".
The thing I like about waycross is the historic preservation. It is so neat to look at all the restoration that has taken. It is 2010 and their city looks like it is 1940. I look historic structures.
Stupid question; I know I could do no better and I enjoy the comparisons of Jax with other cities; but why the comparison with a City like Waycross, GA? There's obviously no competition, comparison, etc. And...I don't think there's not much going on in Waycross anyway...nothing hardly at all.
"HU"
^Why not? The Elements of Urbanism series is not meant to be a head-to-head comparison between cities. Instead it is a visual look at what is happening in other places. This gives us a chance to learn more about actual redevelopment strategies that work and don't work. With this in mind, you can learn just as much from a Waycross, Augusta or Greenville as you can from a NYC, Chicago or Indianapolis.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on October 12, 2010, 09:57:30 AM
The thing I like about waycross is the historic preservation. It is so neat to look at all the restoration that has taken. It is 2010 and their city looks like it is 1940.
1940 minus the people... and the grit. The 1940s were really some dirty, grimy days for cities. But man were their streets full of life! 2010 is all reversed. It's sad that street life has been funneled into only the most touristy of streets of places like St. Augustine (similar city population and urban area population to Waycross). There are eerie parallels to that formal, unused living room that I hope is a fading trend in American houses: pretty, great for entertaining, but lifeless as long as everyone's in the family room watching TV.
Well, at least we're keeping our downtowns dusted and vacuumed.
Wow thanks, I have never seen Waycross. Looks better than I imagined.
Looks like a great little town. If they could find a use for that 7 story building it would be great for their downtown. I hope they do, but I'm sure they'd never destroy it if it sat vacant for a few years. That's one thing we could learn from them.
It is a great little town...........oodles of that old style southern charm! Your cell phone will even work there, if you have T Mobile or AT&T and most of the other carriers probably have service there by now! Did not last time I was there,but things do change! Not sure about wifi............AT&T did but only downtown, outskirts no way!
I believe that city hall is a Klutho design.
Looks like a really nice ghost town.
I went to college in nearby Douglas. To us, going to Waycross and Valdosta were like going to the 'big city.' I remember what was then known as the 'Hatcher Point Mall' - it is now known as the Waycross Mall. Waycross came in handy for me to refuel on my way between Orange Park and Douglas.
I'm going with a wtf on this choice.
I think HU's comment brings up a valid issue about understanding what urban really means. The assignment of "urban" as a euphemism for African-American culture has seen the word become synonymous with ghettos, crime, poverty, drugs, and homelessness.
Quote from: Singejoufflue on October 12, 2010, 03:22:24 PM
I think HU's comment brings up a valid issue about understanding what urban really means. The assignment of "urban" as a euphemism for African-American culture has seen the word become synonymous with ghettos, crime, poverty, drugs, and homelessness.
What ???
Quote from: Singejoufflue on October 12, 2010, 03:22:24 PM
I think HU's comment brings up a valid issue about understanding what urban really means. The assignment of "urban" as a euphemism for African-American culture has seen the word become synonymous with ghettos, crime, poverty, drugs, and homelessness.
Well, i guess im not alone in saying: Huh?????
Nice vocabulary but what the heck are you really trying to say?
O.K. Lake; your explanation of why compare Waycross to Jax was elucidated and I somewhat understand; but to me a city slightly smaller, same size or larger would seem to make more sense...but then again, what do I know?
"HU"
We do those too. In the past, we've also highlighted NYC and Chicago. To be honest, Waycross is probably closer in scale to Jax than either of those places.
To clarify: My concern is there is a lack of consensus on "urban." HU's comment was about the relationship of size to "urban"-ness (here, size doesn't matter). I pointed out that "urban" has become synonymous with "inner city/ghetto/black" etc.
I think the COJ has a lot of work to do in promoting and defining what it will mean to be "urban" in Jacksonville. Is there even a documented vision of this? As it stands, it has homeless, the jail and a courthouse (perception). How do we get suburbanites on board with caring about DT if a mayoral candidate that purports to be in favor of DT revitalization has her campaign headquarters off Emerson?
naw........my cousins live within rock throwing distance of downtown........OK maybe a little farther.
They don't think of it being city people much but more so country people. Urban meaning to them city. Downtown isn't much of a factor anymore either. Most of the city activity is out towards the mall. My cousin cleans his deer in the shop out back and has a 1 acre garden next to the house. Not a lot of urban at their place.
Quote from: thelakelander on October 12, 2010, 09:25:39 PM
We do those too. In the past, we've also highlighted NYC and Chicago. To be honest, Waycross is probably closer in scale to Jax than either of those places.
I think it's also valid to highlight what's going on in the small cities of this immediate region. And Waycross is definitely that. It would be less understandable to highlight, say, Dodge, Kansas. Jacksonville's a very regional place. You can pick any city more than a 4 hour drive and someone somewhere in Jax, or even a city leader, might wonder why they should care about something so far away.